Packing material



April 22, 1941.

W. J. DE REAMER PACKING MATERIAL Filed April 21, 1938 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 PACKIN G MATERIAL William J. De Reamer, Crown Point, Ind., assignor to Mapes Consolidated Manufacturing Company, Griffith, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,335

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in packing material especially adapted for use in the packing of fragilear-ticles such as eggs, certain types of glassware, electric light bulbs, tree ornaments and the like and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The improved packing material is one made of molded pulp material and is intended for use in connection with the so-call-ed folding cellular fillers, in a manner to provide an article receiving seat in the bottom of each cell of the filler. Packing materials of a similar nature as heretofore produced, are open to certain objections which the present invention seeks to overcome.

Material of this kind is much used in the packing of eggs for shipment and therefore the material of the present invention will be described as used for packing eggs but this is to be considered only as illustrative of one use thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a packing material in the nature of a sheet formed to provide seats including a plurality of points of support for the bottom of the eggs so that a circulation of air is possible between said points of support and beneaththe bottom of the eggs to keep the same in a better condition for a longer period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packing material of this kind, which is so formed as to provide better protection for the top ends of the eggs in the layer below and which will readily accommodate and take care of such eggs in the layer below as may be oversize.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packing material of the kind in the nature of a fiat sheet of molded pulp material, formed with integral seats each to receive an egg in a manner providing a ventilated support therefor and which sheet will readily nest with others for storage and shipment.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the advantages thereof, will more fully occur as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view in a somewhat diagrammatic form of a sheet of the improved packing material embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of one corner of the improved packing material, on an enlarged scale relative to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a part of a plurality of the improved sheets of packing material, when in operative relation in an egg case, as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the seats of the sheet as taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the seats forming a part of the improved packing material.

The improved packing material consists of a rectangular sheet of molded pulp material I (I having a plurality of raised article supporting seats II thereon arranged in rows of six each extending parallel with the two pairs of opposed edges of the sheet. With such an arrangement thereon, there are thirty-six of such seats in each sheet, this being the standard capacity of the conventional sheets or so called flats and associated cell forming fillers employed in egg cases.

Each seat II, which forms an integral part of the sheet, is preferably circular in shape and includes an upstanding peripheral wall I2 and a top wall I3, the wall I2 tapering upwardly and inwardly toward the top wall I3. The central portion of the top wall is preferably made as a depression I4 of a suitable diameter and of a rather shallow depth so that the bottom surface thereof is disposed above the plane of the bottom surface of the sheet. This appears in Fig. 3. Spaced arcuately about the top wall I3, outwardly beyond the central depression I4 is a. plurality of upwardly projecting article engaging supports I5. Each support or projection, which has. a somewhat rounded top, is of substantially a. triangular or three-sided shape, with the apex and I6 thereof arranged at about the periphery of the depression I4. The base end 11 of each support or projection forms an upward continuation of the associated part of the side wall I2, as best appears in Fig. 3.

As herein shown there are four of said supports on each seat and spaced apart and the central planes of opposite supports are arranged parallel with the edges of the sheet as best appearsin Fig. 2. The sides I8 of adjacent supports coact with those parts of the top wall I3 between them in forming radial passages I9 that extend inwardly from the wall I2 to communicate with the depression I 4. The planes of the opposed passages I9 for each seat I I are arranged at right angles to each other and such planes are diagonally disposed with respect to the edges of the sheet.

The seats II in oppositely extending rows of seats are spaced apart to accord with the spacing between the longitudinal and transverse strips 20 and 2| respectively of the cellular filler with which the sheets are used. With the seats arranged in this manner, the side wall parts I2 of adjacent seats in the oppositely extending rows of seats coacts to form guide channels 22 (see Fig. 3) to receive said strips in a manner preventing a relatively shifting thereof.

.In Fig. 3 an egg 23 is shown as engaged in a cell as formed by a bottom sheet In, intersecting filler strips 20--2l and a top sheet H], with those portions of the top sheet l underlying the portions 22 thereof, engaging upon the top edges of the said strips. In Fig. 3 the egg is shown with parts of its shell, between its bottom end and its sides, as engaged on the supports l5 at substantially the points where the apex end [6 of each support merges into the rounded or domed top of the support. Thus, it is apparent from Fig. 4 that air may circulate through the passages l9 under the bottom of the egg. The depression [4 not only provides more depth for the circulation of air beneath the bottom of the egg, but it also provides a pocket to hold such fluid as may leak from the egg should the same become broken. Thus, the leakage of a damaged egg is confined to the cell in which it is engaged and therefore .such leakage cannot run into the next adjacent cell to discolor or soil the egg therein and thereby reduce the sales value thereof.

When an egg is arranged in its associated cell as shown in Fig. 3, its top end extends above the plane of the top edges of the filler strips. With the seat made as described, it is apparent that the egg on the seat of the bottom sheet in Fig. 3

be slightly oversize, it may be tilted slightly so that its top end is disposed in the recess as formed by the underside of the seat above, but at one side of the center thereof.

By reason of the four point support for each egg as provided for by the supports l5, it is possible for the egg to shift slightly in all directions toaccommodate the movement of the egg without breakage.

By reason of the structuredescribed, the same may be rapidly produced in large numbers on molded pulp machines now in use. Also such structure permits a'nestlike stacking of the packing material in compact packages for storage and shipment.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail tothe form, arrangement and construction of the parts thereof, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A packing material comprising a flat sheet, means on one side thereof forming a plurality of article receiving seats each including a relatively upstanding annular wall and a substantialy fiat top wall spaced from the plane of the sheet and having a central depression therein, and means providing a plurality of arcuately spaced, upwardly projecting article engaging supports on said top wall outwardly of said depression each support having a substantially rounded top, threesided shape with the apex end directed inwardly and merging into said recess and with the base end arranged substantially coincident with said annular wall of the seat, the sides of adjacent supports, coacting with those parts of the top wall between them in providing passageways that open into the recess.

WILLIAM J. DE REAMER. 

